Rod Streater Returns To Practice For Raiders
ALAMEDA, Calif. (CBSLA.com/AP) — Oakland Raiders receiver Rod Streater returned to practice Monday for the first time since breaking his left foot two months ago.
Streater was placed on the injured reserve list with a designation to return on Oct. 2 after breaking his foot in New England. He was eligible to return to practice on Nov. 13 but was finally ready to do so on Monday.
The Raiders (1-10) now have a 21-day window to decide whether to activate Streater and place him back on the 53-man roster. He is eligible to play as soon as this Sunday against St. Louis.
"I think I'm close," Streater said. "I went through pretty much the whole practice without any pain. Cutting, running full speed, catching it. I feel I'm very close.
Streater, who is a three-year veteran of the league, had nine catches for 84 yards and one touchdown in two-plus games before the injury. Streater has 108 receptions for 1,556 yards and eight touchdowns since joining the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2012.
Interim coach Tony Sparano said he thought Streater looked good on the practice field but said it was important to be patient and not risk a more significant injury.
Streater said he got a bit "winded" in his first practice after spending the past few weeks working out on the side. He said it will take some time getting back into rhythm with quarterback Derek Carr after missing the past two months.
"That's going to be a big thing," Streater said. "I'm probably going to have to put in some extra time after practice, getting the timing down, but I felt like I didn't miss a step really. Little routes were off, but that's going to come. That will come back real quick."
Streater's return came the day the Raiders practiced for the first time since winning their first game of the season last Thursday against Kansas City.
Oakland had lost its first 10 games this season and 16 in a row dating back more than a year before breaking through with a 24-20 victory over the Chiefs last week.
"I saw good focus," Sparano said. "Normally you bring a team in on a Monday after a couple of days off, you see a lack of focus, a lack of attention to detail. They were very focused, very good in meetings and very good out there on the field."
While the Raiders have already started preparing for this week's game against the Rams, Sparano told his players that it was still all right to look back at the victory and savor that feeling.
"It's OK to close your eyes and think back to the locker room a couple days ago and think about what that feeling is all about because you want more of it," Sparano said he told the players. "It becomes something that possesses you a little bit when you win a football game like that."
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